


one note at a time

by 1117



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Cats, Crack?, Cute, Fluff, Gifts, I Tried, M/M, courting, hongjoong and cat....how comes nobody has ever talked about hongjoong and cat?, hongjoong shy introvert boi, hongjoong!graphic designer, im sorry its only a one shot so I couldn’t include jongho or mingi in the fic ;-;, pls forgive me, seonghwa smexy confident boi, seonghwa!marketing manager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25932205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1117/pseuds/1117
Summary: In the span of five months, (Hongjoong lost counts), he has received over thirty-eight little gifts from this unknown sender on the small corner of his office table.If only he can figure out who is this mysterious gift sender.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 12
Kudos: 140





	one note at a time

**Author's Note:**

> here’s one way to make you ascend with the unnecessary amount of fluff! 🤩
> 
> no beta-readed this and its almost 3am for me so please deal with the mistakes i am very sorry :')
> 
> _(edit: ok 18 hours after and yeeet i am back to semi-proofread this so it’s slightly better now even tho im pretty sure mistakes are still all over the place dksksksk. but ty for the kudos omg this is a lot for me im_ 😭 _*sobs* tytyty!!!) ___

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

_'I'm sorry I haven't gotten much free time to get you something nice today. But here's a little treat that I made. I hope you have a nice day.'_

In the span of five months, ( _Hongjoong lost counts),_ he has received over thirty-eight little gifts from this unknown sender on the small corner of his office table.

And no, he’s not counting them.

Gawking around to inspect for spectators behind the Window monitor, shielding the note from curious owls that most likely obtain the possibility of glancing at his cramped workspace, which he, _coughs_ , subtly hinting towards his colleagues Jung Wooyoung and Jung Yunho, the blue-haired man arranges the tiny sticky note into the hobbled wooden desk drawer with others followed colored letters besides. Storing this simple push-and-pull pattern underneath the public sights.

No one needs to know about his secret.

It isn't the absolute secret that he feels obligated to block away from Wooyoung's ultra-sound volume of a mouth or Yunho's chirping unnecessarily spoiling lips. Still, it isn't very pleasant, at least to him. And he remembers that when Wooyoung screamed out loud while Hongjoong was secretly announced that his cousin's wife had her baby the night before. _Secretly_ , per se.

Well, not anymore.

For a fact, even his boss knew about his cousin's wife's pregnancy and baby born day.

Slightly admits, he nearly wanted to commit arson on Wooyoung's apartment on that same day.

And having the latter apologized the moment after did not please him one bit when his boss called him inside the room and congratulated the news with him. The worst ten minutes of his life if Hongjoong is honest enough to concede. So moral of the story:

Do not put ‘Wooyoung’ and ‘secret’ in one phrase.

Because they never end well.

Yunho might be less half bad, he is still a spoiler, and as much as Hongjoong loves them, his patience is blotched, enclosed, and limited. Hongjoong always has his respect and safety distancing between all co-workers. Yet, those two are preferably the hyenas munching on the juicy zebra thighs while screeching bloody hell like those night-time red foxes as if a lady got murdered being drunk, they’re particularly loud, _especially_ Wooyoung.

His laugh is unbeatable.

So is their personal space. 

Hongjoong recalls he should have made up signs of "Do Not Disturb" into the back of his PC and hopes to Lord that they would read and go away. But as much anti-social as Hongjoong can manage, those two sticks to him like Wringle's 5 Peppermint gums large packet on top of a newly woken bedhead. 

And he refuses to admit he is lonely sometimes. Without them, he would probably be that one office worker who cares none but himself in the corner of their white ceiling and black plastic walls department, stamping and typing his paperwork.

It sounds as fancy as how it is stereotyped as.

Not that Hongjoong has any grudge against his job.

But alright, you don't expect much from a graphic designer, do you?

He surely makes decent money even performing as a neophyte, and he has been working under his current company ever since graduating, which summarized about one and a half years. Quite a good record if asked.

But really, he doesn't suppose likely to make an impression upon anybody, since it would be irrelevant. For a fact, Hongjoong survives with his hands, not his face and personality.

And those who don't want to understand him can eat that up to their asses. Surely, he doesn't, either.

To them, of course.

The two Jungs are the aftermath of a few months of graduating departed, and despite them not having the same jobs as him, they manage to exist in the same air as his. Truly, he finally finds some connection between his workplace and his committing-to-be-friend-zone co-workers; but once in his life, Hongjoong is too proud to confess his happiness.

So covering the little embarrassment and secreting hand gesture, Hongjoong peeked inside the small blue bento box under the sticky note that he just puts away. Sneaking inside for the contents beneath the white plastic lid.

He spots chocolate chip cookies. Not precisely his all-time favorite, but he will never say no to free food.

Especially not when the cookies look like they were straightened-up stolen from _Chips Ahoy!_ warehouse thirty minutes after from the packaged machinery.

He picks one up and carefully bites a small portion on the tip of the cookie, letting the sweetness gently melts on the edge of his tongue, humming a little more content than a typical Monday morning. Hongjoong's glad that he tends to go to work earlier than everybody else. Or else, Wooyoung would steal them away, and Yunho would make fun of him for sometimes the day after. And scheming with Wooyoung for their fraudulent adventure of liberating the rest of his cookies.

It is supposed to be a secret. As mentioned.

And he keeps it as it is.

Unless they want an end in their little friendship and Hongjoong can pretend to knock on Yeosang, their downstairs technical writer for a lunch date, side-gazing the Jungs in oblivions.

The extension Hongjoong would do just for this unknown sender, along with their colorful sticky notes and petite gifts at the left side corner of his desk.

At first, Hongjoong assumed it was one of his co-workers. But supposedly, Hongjoong knows them enough to understand that they don't silently give presents out of kindness. That would be the scenario of snowing in summer.

Call him mean, Hongjoong proclaims it as "being honest."

Usually, Hongjoong prefers days that he received homemade stuff rather than decorative purchased materials. For some reason, it feels like a courting ritual, and to make sure of his extreme delusional imagination, Hongjoong tends to double-check all those brief given messages before he marks in between the gift that he gets. And mayhaps, sneak some offered snacks into his mouth during the days.

It went on for months before this one, number thirty-nine, as he remembers, the chocolate chips, before he excuses himself from his own booth and heads toward the coffee/resting/gossiping room for his basic Americano paper to-go cup. He goes back to his seat through the hallway for the unfinished designing poster that he barely got to arrange the color scheme on.

And then he sees him.

Park Seonghwa, their speculated marketing manager. 

The man clearly does not belong in their department, but for God-knows-what reason, Hongjoong sees him walking by every day. And it has been over five months since it happened.

The marketing department is supposedly on the fourth floor of the building.

He always dresses up in neat suits with nice dots or stripes ties if he is in the mood. And agilely walking in his specific straight stepping style where Hongjoong notices mainly taking over 90% legs. He clearly is not jealous, noted that. And the man always gives a gentle smile whenever he sees Hongjoong from across the hall.

This morning, Hongjoong remarks, though, the man dyed his hair into a vibrating silver color.

Which is cool. The latter looks really nice with it.

No, he definitely is _not_ paying at every little detail of the man. Really.

Hongjoong's little desk stood behind the scene of the whole room, hidden in the corner near their art director’s (a.k.a Ms. Kim Yerim) office that even if nobody knows him, everybody would have to pass by him to check-in with their boss. And Hongjoong does not like to talk much to strangers beside his awkward ' _hi_ ,' which probably goes unheard afterward, leaving a Heinz ketchup miniHong size a few seconds followed. And Hongjoong is used to that.

At least his hair is blue now, so instead of a strawberry looking embarrassing Hongjoong like his hair was during last summer, he now has obtained the title of a blueberry.

Park Seonghwa from the marketing team doesn't really do much with the art director, Hongjoong realizes. The man mostly walks in with two cups of coffee in the morning, when Hongjoong still feels sleepy by the third floor of their newly published company and marches straight inside the room in a rush.

It's nice knowing that their boss always goes to work early. But it is questionable seeing how their marketing manager perpetually presents in the early morning inside the glassed office and talks animatedly to their boss. 

Don't take Hongjoong wrong. He was _not_ stalking them.

He is just a curious little office worker on basic early weekdays.

Or maybe he lies because Hongjoong perhaps gets a little smushy over their marketing manager.

Though, he admits, Park Seonghwa is too spectacular for his own good.

But either way, the blue-haired man assumes that they must be colleagues for having such delightful conversations every morning. Not that it is his business to care anyway.

At least he can pretend not to care.

So presumably, besides those two who always get here much earlier than him, Hongjoong is clueless of his mysterious weekly gift-sender, which he still secretly spying on literally half of those he ever witnessed in this monstrosity of a "newly published" company.

Sometimes Hongjoong would excuse from his own seat to go down and upstairs, walking around with an excuse of paperwork or discussing a picture with other designers just to sneak on whoever seems suspicious on his way.

It has been going on for a month now, Hongjoong's little mission to looking for this nameless person. He doesn't even know their gender. All of the messages addressed only the 'you' and 'I,' and as thankful as the sender must be for knowing his preferred sexuality because Hongjoong understands that he came out as a bisexual, with all the sob stories left behind with his family and past friends, he doesn't know this person.

And maybe he will have to regretfully reject their kindness, liking it or not.

Nevertheless, the gifting business must stop, and he has been guilty enough for keeping all of their food, drinks, flowers, and little reminding messages.

Enough is enough.

Hongjoong focuses back on his works, ignoring the outside noises of typing and whispering from his surroundings with a plugged earphones, continuing on his drawing through the electronic white pad, selecting the colors for his project. He gets lost in time fast when he is focused.

Until he receives a call from his work telephone, the man snaps his head out of the thought, gushingly pushes the bento back into the drawer, sticky notes be damned, and crumbled before he whips his mouth, picking up on the phone after a deep breath.

Being an introvert really gets the best out of him. Hongjoong wonders sometimes how is he still manages to survive in this society.

"Yes, this is Kim Hongjoong from the graphic designing department. How can I help you?"

"Ah, good afternoon Mr. Kim." the light sweet voice speaks through the gray telephone. He recognizes it was their boss. "I've requested a commercial poster last Wednesday for our upcoming releasing product from you." Hongjoong nods, looking by her office as she stares back at him through the thick glass, smiling.

"Can I see it now?"

"Oh, yes, sure! Give me a moment!" he opens a layer below his gift drawer, looking through thick files of drawings and paintings and printed designing plans until he found the newest input file. Pulling out his draft and final design, he shuffles them into a yellow folder, cruising toward the boss's office.

There is a blind spot to his boss's office coming from Hongjoong's views by his desk, and it blocks the other sofa inside the room so he can never see if anything happens by that little corner.

And preferably at this moment, he doesn't see that apparently, the marketing manager is also in the same room.

When did he get inside? Hongjoong wonders, because the man doesn't really stay here for long after the clock hits nine in the morning. And it is currently two in the afternoon. 

But it isn't wholly his fault when Hongjoong tends to get lost in his drawing, and he decides to not push on further. But his heart is pushing a little bit too hard right now.

Damn Hongjoong and his stupid crush.

The silver-haired man looks up at him and gently smiles that great, nicely sharpened eye shape and polite beam, oh God, _the disrespect! -_ which never fails to always make Hongjoong feels more than one thing at once, and he senses the edge of his hair is rilling up, tripping over his skin like falling blossom petals.

And that is his cue to snap out of his train before he goes and humiliating himself even more.

So Hongjoong does what he has to do, handles his boss the folder, briefly explains to her about his design, and allows the latter to input her opinion. But the art director seems to be satisfied with his work and pushes the folder into Park Seonghwa's arm, letting the man looks over Hongjoong's work.

The silver-haired man nods while flipping through the two pages, humming in his smooth deep voice before he looks at the boss, "I'm impressed. This poster is perfect for what we are aiming to promote. I like it."

Hongjoong blushes at the words.

He doesn't really take praises well, regardless of strangers or people he is close with, but he is thankful. And the worst-case scenario here, if one squints, is a compliment from a Park Seonghwa. Hongjoong feels like his ass has been swung up onto cloud nine.

He clearly appreciates it. So he bows to Seonghwa politely, waiting for his boss's response.

"I agree with Mr. Park here, this is a very creative design, please send me the file through the mail by tomorrow." Hongjoong nods, "Great jobs, Mr. Kim. As expected, one of my favorite designers."

Hongjoong shyly bows again, "Thank you. I did what I can." before greetings both of them one last time, and walks out of the office, sighing in content.

Wooyoung teases him once he returns to his seat for looking a little bit happier than a few minutes ago. Maybe a little bit redder, too.

Hongjoong huffs and occupies back to his project.

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

It comes to a turning point two days later when Hongjoong receives a note this time, with nothing attached.

_'It has been officially forty days since I've started giving gifts. I know you probably won't care, but I want to admit something to you, and it's alright if you don't answer me right at the moment, but I want to try it knowing that I've reached this far. Would you like to meet up with me?'_

First of all, yes, Hongjoong does _count_ the days.

Second of all, _holy shit?_

He could be blinded and acts ignorantly by this instant, admitting Hongjoong. But he swears this is clearly a confession. A meet-up for a confession in all anyone could guess for, and he is nervous as crap.

Because never has he ever dated anyone, let alone having someone crushes on him.

And understanding clearly that this day will come anytime soon, the blue-haired for sure isn't aware or prepared himself.

At least not yet.

But anything must come to an end-point, so Hongjoong bites his lips, writes out a small note of the meeting up location on his own sticky note, then gently smooths over the glued side of the note on top of his wooden table, where his gift would always be in the skipped mornings.

By the time the mysterious unknown gift sender reads the note, Hongjoong would have to do his best and prepare himself for whispering a rejection, despite being guilty.

And sort of because he has someone in mind for a future confession, not that anybody needs to know. Not even the Jungs. Or else he would have to carry such a dilemma down in his deathbed.

Talk about someone, he hasn't seen Seonghwa this morning. But it isn't like Hongjoong should be expected for a specific suit-and-tie man with slim legs to be strolling down to his department and nearly bursts his heart into small explosive bubbles.

Hongjoong guarantees he won't be able to handle it.

So carry on, Hongjoong left his workplace after sometimes in the span of 5 PM, hoping to solve this little push-and-pull out peacefully. He has been derelict enough. He calls his parents that night, books a train ticket for the weekends to come back home, and visits them right after Friday afternoon when he gets out of work, beforehand, setting his plan for Thursday's cafe meeting with the person who he will finally learn to be. Reject them and get over with it. 

_Even if it turns awkward after, it's not like you know anyone inside the building._

Sounds like a good plan.

Or so he thought.

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

The day after, when he notices the note has disappeared from his table, the realization of him seeing the person that has a crush on him all these months hits harder than expected.

Hongjoong nervously fiddles with his shirt hem, looking around inside the department to see if he doesn't see anyone walking out from the building at the same time as him, heading toward the destined cafe during his lunch break.

Hands shaking, the blue-haired steps inside a cab, telling the driver to make a turn to the close-by six-minute driving cafe at the downtown sidewalk before he pushes the door and pays for the man with some cash in his pocket. 

Hongjoong purposely wears a black beret today just for the cozy coffee artistic mood. He thinks it suits him perfectly. He thinks the cat inside the cafe thinks it suits him perfectly. For a fact, the adorable three-colored has been trying to purr into his chest. And amidst the number of times the owner has apologized over his pet's invasion of privacy. Hongjoong just laughs and shakes his head off. 

Because it's a cat. What else would a cat do?

Besides, he enjoys playing with her.

So Hongjoong requested to play with the pretty soft fur cat with a light confirmation from the store owner, he notices the name San brightly shows under the silver name-tag.

Apparently, the other person hasn't arrived yet.

Hongjoong smiles softly at the cat, ruffing his nose onto her stomach, earning an adorable cooing _'meow'_ from the little pet before tenderly pats over her delicate fur, whispers sweet words as he repeats the action.

Even if the other won't show up, Hongjoong wouldn't be mad for one bit. He obviously is having fun.

"Who's the cutest girl?" He coos, "That's right! It's you." before he nudges his nose onto her head again. The cat sweetly closes her eyes, stretching slightly under Hongjoong's warmth, yawns.

Hongjoong pats her fur one last time, and he ruffs them in waves, "Ehehe, you're such a ball of fluff." Then he picks her off the table to settle down onto her nearby resting cushion. Not noticing a figure that has already been observing him the whole time since he walked inside the cafe.

The blue-haired man looks upon his side towards the table where he originally sat before widening his eyes, seeing someone familiar standing beside one of the chairs. Hongjoong stares at the man dumbfounded, then he swiftly bows, "Mr. Park, pleasant seeing you here." Hongjoong scratches his head, walking slowly toward the table where he first sat but standing still, shyly scanning for an explanation from the latter.

Not receiving an affirmation, he continues timidly, "I'm waiting for someone right now, so I believe I won't be able to keep up with the conversation. But we can talk next time."

Holy crap, Hongjoong, where did all this boldness come from?

Park Seonghwa stares at him as if amused, the sight has never switched ever since the moment he puts the cat down and notices the man standing there, Hongjoong unconsciously wonders if he did anything wrong, furrowing his brows.

But the silver-haired man's gaze was full of if Hongjoong is good at interpreting, he would say...

...Fondness.

And that puzzles the heck out of him.

Seonghwa grins, "What a convenience, I am also seeing someone here."

Hongjoong raises his eyebrows.

"And what even more convenience is, the person that I'm meeting up just proved earlier to be the reason I am risking everything right now to see them." Before he casually sets down on the chair opposed to Hongjoong's side. "Kim Hongjoong, I have something to confess."

Oh no.

Oh no no no.

This sounds painfully familiar.

Like something Hongjoong would definitely remember over his own project due dates.

Like something Hongjoong recalls coming from the pink sticky note on his table roughly two days ago.

And he has repeated this scenery over his head countless times. He has never expected in one single thought that the voice of the sudden confession would belong to someone who he doubts for a chance of having a relationship.

And Hongjoong panics the fuck out of himself right now.

"I," Seonghwa licks his lips slightly, "have been paying attention to you ever since I've noticed you by the side of Yerim's office." he nervously admits. "And I know I honestly sound like a creep and being absolutely unprofessional at this moment. But I've been liking you for a while now, Hongjoong. It's not just because you're beautiful-" Hongjoong widens his eyes, "-but because you're a hard-working, talented, and kind human being. And that is why I've been engulfed in your presence. Let me apologize for the suddenness of my confession but it has been too long for me now."

_Oh...my God?!_ Hongjoong internally screams.

"I really like you, Kim Hongjoong. And I hope you won't be bothered so much by it. But I've been making excuses to visit Yerim's office just to see you every morning, even if it's just a brief second. I hope you don't feel too uncomfortable." Seonghwa looks at him deep in the eyes, awaiting an answer.

Hongjoong stares at the man in front of him as if he has lost his mind.

Never has he ever expected to be hearing the words _'like'_ and _'really'_ and _'Hongjoong'_ in one clustered sentence.

And he surprises that he hasn't exploded and blown up in the sky at this moment already. What a fucking achievement.

The blue-haired man groans, covering his face shyly. Then he fluttered, hesitating over words through his stumble of information and the stacked admiration from the man he, ironically, also crushes on.

Hongjoong is sure he must have used all of his luck in this horrendous year.

"Oh gosh," Hongjoong embarrassingly laughs, "You're making this so much harder than I planned."

"What do you mean?" Seonghwa looks at him wonderingly.

"I did- I didn't expect it was you. I was planning to reject whoever has been gifting me stuff for forty days straight since I don't know who this would be." He exhales, "and yes, in case you're wondering, I did count the days." Seonghwa stares at him in astonishment. "And I don't know what good deed have I ever done, but oh my God, you don't even know how much I also have been gushing over you these days. But I didn't even dare to make a move because I've seen you a lot with my boss, and I thought you guys are together or something, maybe colleagues, I don't know, but I never thought it was you who put the gifts on my desk and I'm such a clown because it all makes sense and now I need to find a hole and hide in it forever."

Seonghwa laughs delightfully at the little rant from the blue-haired man, finally seeing a clearer path for his future, "so...does that mean, we are bookmarking for a date soon?" 

Hongjoong looks at him, snorts after his burst of antic, nods while still hides his face into his small palms, and giggles as he goes beyond happiness, "Fuck, of course. I would be insane if I say no. Yes. We are bookmarking for a date."

Seonghwa gently gazes at him with that tender eyesight once again, lightly whispers as if all of his rocks have been down from his perfectly wide shoulders, "Great."

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

"Coming!" The lady's vocal is booming through small corridors before she twisted the doorknob after hearing the bell ringing by the front door.

Her son must have been back.

So cheerfully as she opens, before managing to reveal a smile, the lady freezes upon witnessing a strange figure standing beside her beloved son.

"Hongjoong, who's this fine young man?"

Her son stands still by the door as if being choked on a fishbone, nervously humming before he carefully whispers, "he's....he's uh....he's my boyfriend?"

The lady stares at the strange young man stunningly, "he's your _what_ ?! Hongjoong, the last time we called, which I shall remind you, was three days ago, and I asked if you have anyone with you at the moment, you clearly told me _no_?!" she whisper-shouting, her son could be apologetically squinting in embarrassment for all she cares before he drags his bags inside.

“Ah, ah.” His mom stops him half-way, “I demand an explanation, Kim Hongjoong.”

"Mom please, let us in first." Hongjoong almost goes down on his knees and beg. 

_Almost_.

The strange figure secretly blooms a smile behind him.

The lady huffs, both hands on her hips, "fine, get inside. But tell me about every single detail. Or I'm disowning you."

Hongjoong gulps.

"It's uh..., It's a bit complicated..., uhm....”

”Yes?”

”Well.....you see.....it began with a note-“

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this was enjoyable to read!
> 
> ah yes, seonghwa my man here is whipped with a blueberry on top and wbk (he’s confident but he can’t hide his uwu away when joong is around.)🤠
> 
> _also pfff I deserve a kudo for my word counts_ 😂


End file.
